Downton Abbey: New Love Interest For Lady Mary In Season 4?

A hot new man could be headed the way of Lady Mary Crawley in Season 4 of "Downton Abbey."

British hunk Tom Ellis, who appeared in the short-lived BBC America series "The Fades," and played a doctor on long-running UK soap "Eastenders" auditioned to play the love interest of the now-widowed "Downton" darling, according to the UK's Daily Mirror.

A source from ITV, which airs the show in the UK (it just wrapped up its run on PBS in the U.S. on Sunday) told the paper that they are hoping to secure the hunk for the period drama.

"He really showed his versatility," the source said, referring to Tom's role in UK series "Miranda," a comedy. "And he's also incredibly popular with the female viewers. It was an absolute no-brainer to get him in for an audition.